Motor vehicles are normally fitted with a bonnet or hood which covers a compartment in which the vehicle's engine is arranged. The hood is normally pivotably arranged by means of two hinge devices, one on each side of the hood, for allowing the hood to be raised to a position in which it defines an angle of approximately 60-90.degree. with reference to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
A hinge device which allows the hood to be opened and raised to an "inspection position," corresponding to an angle of approximately 60.degree., or a "service position," corresponding to an angle of approximately 90.degree., is previously known. For this purpose, the known hinge device comprises a release mechanism which can be manually operated so as to select the 60.degree. position or the 90.degree. position.
A problem which occurs with such a previously known device is that the hood cannot be locked in the 90.degree. position, which of course may inflict injuries if the hood were to fall down. Another problem is that the release mechanism might be "too easily" activated by the user; i.e. the hood may unintentionally be raised to the 90.degree. position if for example the owner of the car, who normally should not need to open the hood to the 90.degree. position, activates the release mechanism. If for example the windscreen wipers are in their folded out position, this may result in the hood being damaged.